Trace-fastener.



UNITED STATES SATENT FFICE.

BURUS M. THORNTON AND WILLIAM E. THORNTON, OF MEXIA, TEXAS.

TRACE-FASTENER.

SPEGLIFIGATION forming part of IiettersPatent No. 716,146, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed April 19. 1902.

To all whom itmwyboncfln:

Be it known that we, BURUS M. THORNTON and WILLIAM E. THORNTON, citizens of the United States, residing at MeXia, in the county of Limestone and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Trace-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to trace-fas' teners for securing a trace upon a whiffietree.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple structure which may be readily engaged about a trace to hold the same against outward movement or displacement from the whiffletree, said means being itself locked in operative position by such engagement. 1

Another object is to provide a structure which may be readily applied to any we1lknown form of whiffletree.

The preferred construction of the invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein a Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of a whiffletree with the trace thereon said trace being secured by the improved fastener. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the fastener thrown to an inoperative position.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The whiffietree,which is designated 10, may be of any desired construction, the terminal, however, being preferably tapered, as shown. Upon this whiffletree is secured the fastener, said fastener comprising spaced arms 11, connected at their inner ends by a pivot-bar 12, the outer ends carrying shanks 13, which are arranged in angular relation to said arms, these shanks being provided at their free ends with inturned retaining-fingers 14. The fastener is held in place upon the whiffletree by means of a hinge-ear 15, having an eye 16, through which is passed the pivot-bar 12, said ear being secured in place by suitable fastening devices, preferably in the form of screws 17, that engage in the whiffietree. It

will be noted that the shanks 13 engage on opposite sides of the whiffietree and extend across the outer face of a trace, as

18, placed Serial No. 103,782. (No model.)

upon the end thereof, the fingers 14 engaging beneath said trace.

In applying a trace to the whiffletree the fastener is'raised from the latter or thrown to the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon said trace may be placed upon the end, so that when the fastener is lowered the fingers will pass over the outer face of the trace, which is then moved outwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As a result the trace will be locked against outward movement on and displacement from the whiffletree, while the retaining-fingers 14 will prevent the upward movement of the arms, the trace being maintained in its outermost position by the tapering configuration of the whiffletree. To release said trace, it is only necessary to move it inwardly until the fingers are disengaged, after which the arms may be raised, thus moving the shanks transversely of the trace to permit the outward movement of the same. It will therefore be seen that an extremely simple structure is provided which may be manufactured at very little cost, as the ear may be formed of sheet metal, while the fastener proper may be constructed of a single piece of wire. Said fastener, however, securely and positively locks the trace against displacement upon the whiftletree and is itself locked by its engagement.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape,

proportion and minor details of construction may 'be-resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In atrace-fastener, the combination with the whifiietree, of an arm movable toward and from a trace placed thereon, a horizontal pivotal connection between the arm and the whiffletree, said connection being disposed in transverse relation to the whifiletree and a shank carried by the arm and arranged to be placed across the outer face of the trace, said shank being movable transversely of the trace upon the swinging movement of the arm and carrying an inturned retaining-finger that engages beneath the trace.

2. In atrace-fastener, the combination with a whiffletree, of an arm having a horizon tallydisposed pivot-bar at one end that extends transversely across the whiffietree, and a depending shank at the other end that extends transversely across the trace, said shank and pivot-bar being disposed in different planes, the shank being provided at its lower or free end with an inturned finger adapted to engage beneath the trace, and means for securing the pivot-bar to the whiffletree.

3. In a trace-fastener, the combination with the whiffletree, of spaced arms connected by a pivot-bar, means for securing the bar to the whiffietree, and separate shanks carried by the arms and arranged to be placed across the outer face of a trace arranged upon the whiffletree, said shanks being located on opposite sides of said whiffletree and having inturned fingers at their free ends that engage beneath the trace.

4. In atrace-fastener, the combination with the whiffietree, of spaced arms connected at their inner ends bya pivot-bar, an ear secured to the whiffietree and engaging the pivot bar, substantially parallel spaced shanks attached to the outer ends of the arms and arranged to be placed across the outer face of a trace arranged upon the whiffletree, said shanks being located on opposite sides of the whififletree and carrying inturned fingers at their free ends which are arranged to engage beneath the trace.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

BURUS M. THORNTON.- WILLIAM E. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. FIELDER, J. N. EVANS. 

